The great news that…Jesus is our great high priest!

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Hebrews

Jesus fulfilled or completed the Old Testament system of mediation. Jesus became our great high priest! Does this sound strange or lacking in relevance? It is actually an amazing and important truth, practical to your everyday Christian life.

Watch this 30 minute video. See the Old Testament robes of the high priest placed on a model, and learn how this relates to Jesus…and you.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” Hebrews 4:14

Thanks for visiting my blog. If you’ve never been here before, Enough Light has been described this way by some readers:

♦ “This is what I love about you and your blog – thoughtful, provocative discussion of issues we all need to think about and figure out using biblical principles.”
♦ “Laura mixes book reviews and thoughtful commentary on issues of Christian life and spirituality.”
♦ “Martin is a Christ-following seminary graduate who writes with depth about the spiritual life in general as well as egalitarian thought.”

However, another person said this:
♦ “Some of your posts can steer non-mature Christians in a wrong way – in seeing Satan in everything instead of seeing God, in thinking Satan is more powerful than God.”

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Does truth matter if we are wishy-washy about it? (UMC)

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orthodoxy, UMC, United Methodist

I rarely post anymore, but here I am about a UMC issue. A UMC pastor that I’d describe as balanced/moderate shared this:

“The issue has never been if #umc doctrinal standards are going to change; the issue is the extent to which they function as norms to which our preaching & teaching are held accountable. Leaders repeating ‘they aren’t changing!’ is a meaningless red herring.”  Shared here.

I agree. This is the concern and problem, as I see it, as someone only part of the UMC for about 12 years. I am now a member of the new GMC, yet the lay-pastor of a small UMC this year. (An unusual and a bit of an awkward position for me to be in!) –  I’m an outsider, really, looking in.

You can say you believe something, but if you won’t  “take a stand” for it or will not enforce staying within an orthodox boundary – do you REALLY believe it? I have doubts. Does truth really matter, if we are wishy-washy about it?

The above quote brought to my mind several different things said to me by different UMC lay people over the last several years.

One example, more recent: A church member described their former UMC pastor as rather academic, teaching in more depth than they were accustomed. Yet, when the issue of Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses came up, this pastor would not clearly say that these 2 groups are outside of orthodoxy. He hedged the issue. (They contrasted this with my clarity.)

Another example, from several years ago, when I taught a class on Christology: I am very clear when I teach this class about the essentials of orthodoxy when it comes to Christ. A couple in this class had recently moved from another state where they were in a UMC. They told me they’d ask this pastor specific questions about Christian truth, and the pastor would respond something like “well, theologians say such and such” but he would be evasive – and not “take a stand” about orthodoxy. It sounded like he’d state the orthodox position but leave it “bouncing around” as a matter of opinion.

As a lay pastor this year, I look at the UMC online worship planning resources for ideas, but I’ve learned that this must be done discerningly. I see things that just…lack clarity… meaning that things are worded in a vague or general way so that certain essential Christian truths could be understood or interpreted in various ways by the hearers. This is very concerning to me. If certain essential truths are lost, we lose Christianity. Clarity matters. Truth matters.

Anyways, I do not have time to polish my thoughts, but throw this out there.